[Roanoke
4 Ramblings
"THE PURPOSE OF OUR or
ganization,” declared George
Hux retiring president of the
Roanoke Firemen’s Association ■
Tuesday night “is to exchange
ideas in fire prevention and fir£
fighting. One of the benefits of
having such an organization is
Kf.he fact that we can go from
one member town to another to
aid our bellow firemen without
having to go through a lot of
red tape. Another benefit is that
we can keep ourselves covered
by insurance while we’re help
ing other member depart
ments.”
Hux made his remarks at the
close of the dinner meeting in!
the basement of the First Bap
tist Church Tuesday night. The
meeting was attended by repre
sentatives of all member depart
ments with exception of Scot
land Neck and by various guests
whose speeches were not with
out humor.
T. J. Alford told of the time
W. C. (Big Boy) King had an
swered a lire alarm shortly after
he had assumed the duties of
^Roanoke Rapids fire chief. King
' and another fireman looked and
looked said Alford but they
could see nothing but black
smoke. “Well let’s sit down
said King. “What for?” asked
for the flame to break out so
we can see what we’re doing. .
replied the chief.
Among others attending the
dinner were: Howard Pruden.
^Sheriff Harry House, A. '* E.
Akers, Jimmie Sears, A. M.
Cameron, D. C. Clark, Ben Lan
caster (who told the group of
about 150 that “with all the
speakers you have here, 1 don’t
see why Big Boy should call on
a waterboy to talk!”), a major
ity of the members of the Roan
oke Rapids police department,
four State Highway Patrolmen,
members of fire departments
<§from Roanoke Rapids, Weldon,
Rich Square, Enfield, Whitakers
and Halifax, Julian Allsbrook,
Bernard Allsbrook and friend? rf
firemen throughout the district.
The opinion of the Rambler
is that we generally take our
fire department pretty much for
granted—which we shouldn’t.
They form an indispensable part
of our everyday life. We should
think of them as an important
basset to safer living.
The Rambler agreed, in this I
respect, with remarks made by
all the speakers. Billy Norwood
is a very entertaining speaker.
WE HAD A CALLER the ether
day who told us to come on
over to Cedar Street where Miss
Ann Hildebrand was celebrating
her seventh birthday party. Un
fortunately, we were quite busy
and unable to attend, but we
•“asked the caller to send in some
information about the party and
we’d be glad to put it in the
paper. He seemed particularly
anxious to have it in the paper
because it was Ann’s first birth
day in Roanoke Rapids. Her
first six were observed at her
former home in Roanoke, Vir
ginia. We hope she had a very
nice time.
THE GOVERNOR OF Virgin
ia, Mr. Tuck himself, dropped
in on Weldon last Thursday
afternoon, we learned from Z.
P. Mitchell, a resident of that
city, iast Thursday night. His
Excellency was on his way to
Wilson and the entourage stop
ped long enough for a member
of the party to transmit a tele
graphic request for hotel accom
modations in Wilson for the
.—night. (Yes, related Z. P., he
' stepped outside to iook at me
gentleman.)
NOT LONG AFTERcmfwyppp
train wreck, an engineer for the
Seaboard pulled through Roan
i oke Rapids transporting some
company officials to Norfolk at
which point they were due to
start an inspection of all com
pany property from Norfolk to
Norlina. He blew his whistle at
fevery telephone pole along the
scene of the crash—in fact he
started blowing before he got
to town and it looked to one ob-.
server as if he blew at some
telephone poles that weren’t
even there.
$15,000 Suit Filed
Mrs. Lillian Kennedy.
m mother of Mrs. H. E. Shearin
~ of Scotland Neck, has filed suit
against the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad for £15.000.
Mrs. Kennedy contends she
was Injured on April 29, while
traveling from Jessup. Ga., to
Rocky Mount, when a suitcase
fell on her head as a porter
removed it from the baggage
rack. Since then, Mrs. Kennedy
said, she has been unable'to
— .perform any work.
She said the had warned the
porter that the bag was un
usually heavy. _
* * * THE ROANOKE RAPIDS
★ ★ ★
What Roanoke Rapids Makes Herald Classified Advertising
-Makes Roanoke Rapids Gel8 Quick Re8u|t8
* * * * * *
i PLUME XXXIII THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 20, 1947 ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C. NUMBER 3
(Photo by Grant;
Miss Minnie Johnson, crowned "Queen for a Day," at
the BPWC regular dinner meeting last Thursday night, re
ceives the congratulations of A1 Drew, popuular radio an
nouncer, who acted as master of ceremonies of the contest
in which Miss Johnson defeated three other candidates for
the honor (Story on Page 6, Section B).
$1,500,000 Addition
To Paper Mill Here
Installation of new equipment
costing approximately one and
a half million dollars will be
gin immediately at the Halifax
Paper Company in Roanoke Ra
pids, K. F. Adams, company
Building Permits Total
$891,680 ; 99 Homes
Two permits for new resi
dential construction, totaling
$6,700. were issued by City
Building Inspector Henry Fitts
this week and they brought
the grand total of building
for November to $113,730, and
for 1947 to $891,680
The two home building per
mits, which brought the total
of new residences for which
permits have been issued so
far this year to 99. were is
sued to J. A. Wilbourne for
one story residence on Wash
ington Street with five rooms
and bath at an estimated cost
of $6,000 and to W. A. Myrick
for a one story two room
residence on Henderson Street,
S700.
executive, told the Herald this
morning.
Adams said the equipment
consists of a new chemical re
covery unit which will permit
the re-use of chemicals used in
the processing of pulp from
ivood. Cost of this one unit was
estimated by Adams to be about
one million of the million and a
half total; and, as a result of
its addition and the addition of
a new screen room and pulp
wash room, the manufacturer of
paper in the local plant will be
made much more efficient, he
declared.
POST OFFICE TO BE OPEN
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS
In order to provide adequate
service to patrons throughout
the holiday season the local post
office will remain open Wednes
day afternoons beginning next
Wednesday Nov. 26th until af
ter Christmas. Postmaster L. G.
Shell announced today. The of
fice will be closed next Thurs
day Thanksgiving Day.
SUPERIOR COURT TERM
A two weeks mixed term of
Superior Court will begin Mon
day November 24th in Halifax
with Judge J. Paul Frizzelle of
Snow Hill presiding.
Five Farmers Nominated
For Halifax County Soil
Conservation Committee
r ive local iarmers have oeen
nominated for the Halifax Coun
ty Soil Conservation Committee,
according to G. G. Alston, super
visor of the Fishing Creek Soil
Conservation District. These
men will be voted on in an elec
tion to be held the week of Dec
ember 1-6, 1947, as provided by
the last Legislature. The three
receiving the highest number of
votes will be elected.
The candidates are: George
Alston, Route 1, Littleton; L. G.
Barnhill, Scotland Neck; R. C.
Batchelor, Route 2, Scotland
Neck; B. B. Everette, Palmyra
and W. D. Harris, Route 1, En
field.
The Soil Conservation Comm
ittee will have the responsibility
of representing' the people of
Halifax County and developing
and directing a soil conserva
tion program. The chairman of
this committee will represent
the county on the Fishing Creek
Soil Conservation District Board
of Supervisors. The Committee
I will set up annual soil conserva
| tion goals and, with assistant
irom personnel oi agricultural
agencies, develop plans for
meeting these goals. In short,
they will provide a medium
through which any agency, or
ganization, or individual inter
ested in soil conservation can
work in reaching the farmers of
the county.
The candidate receiving the
highest number of votes will
serve for a period of three
years, the next highest, two
years and the third man, one
year. Candidates are nominated
by submitting a petition to the
State Soil Conservation Commit
tee in Raleigh. The signatures
of 25 qualified voters residing
in the county are necessary to
place a name in nomination.
SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
All schools in the Halifax
County Administrative Unit will
be closed on November 27 and
28 in observance of the Thanks
giving holidays County Superin
tendent W. Henry Overman an
nounced today.
New Head of
Employment
Office Here
Elton C. Parker, manager
)f the local office of the
North Carolina State Em
sloyment Service since Feb
ruary of this year, has been
ransferred and promoted to
he position of placement
specialist in the State Admin
istrative Office in Raleigh.
Fred W. McNeil, Jr., an em
ployee of the NCSES since April
)f 1946 when he began work
as an interviewer in Morganton,
aas been named to succeed Par
ser as manager of the local
office.
McNeil worked as an intervie
wer until January first of this
year when he was promoted to
Veterans Employment Represen
tative. He served in that posi
[Continued on page 6—Sect. A)
Final Total
Chest Fund
$14,184.34
Final results of the 1947 Com
munity Chest drive announced
today by Henry Akers, Chair
man of the campaign, show that
the drive went over the top by
the sum of $154.34. Total pledges
of $14,184.34 have been reported
although the quota called for on
ly $14,030.
The amount was accumulated
as follows: South Ward, $1,681
75; North Ward, $756.00; Sppec
ial Group, $1,641.39; Halifax
Paper Company, $912.50; Man
chester; Virginia Electric and
Power Company, $413.50; Roan
oke Mills Co. No. 1, $1,592.75
’roanoke Mills Co. No. 2, $1,670.
75; Patterson Mills Co., $1,419.
04 and Rosemary Manufactur
ing Company, $3,853.66.
Akers was most complimen
tary in his praise for the many
workers who so generously gave
their time in soliciting pledges.
He pointed with pride to the fact
that so many local citizens con
tributed to the success of the
drive.
“The Community Chest Fund
is a community project and
everyone benefits indirectly if
not directly,” Akers said, “and
it has been a pleasure to have
served as chairman of the drive
in which the people of Roanoke
Rapids cooperated for the bene
fit of all.”
[Vo-Way Radio Aerials
roo Much For Pen (irad
Three minutes after local
police received a call report
ing theft of a 1947 Ford truck
belonging to Fred Hopkins
from its parking place on 10th
Street Monday night, they
were able to report the driver
in custody and the truck re
covered.
And a mere 44 minutes
after Hopkins discovered the
vehicle missing (at 9:00 p. m.)
ihe driver was in the Roa
noke Rapids jail.
It was all due to the two
way radio and the alertness
of Deputy Sheriff James
Mountcastle and Weldon police
police officer H. J. Ward in
responding to a call broadcast
by local officers T. L. Glosson
and L. A. Nelson, who handled
the case from start to finish.
The arrest was effected with
out incident about two miles
North of Halifax on U. S.
(Continued on Page 6—Sec. A)
W. C. Moorff
Funeral Rites
Here Sunday
Funeral services for William
C. Moody, son of Mr. and Mrs.
W. L. Moody of 138 Jefferson
Street, who was killed in action
in Europe during World War II,
were conducted from the home
at four o’clock Sunday afternoon
with the Rev. Gordan L. Price,
pastor of the First Baptist
Church, officiating.
Burial was in Roanoke Rapids
Cemetary with military rites at
the graveside conducted by Hal
ifax Post 3702, Veterans of For
eign Wars. The Ladies Auxiliary
of the V. F. W. was in charge
of flowers.
Moody was killed in action on
January 16, 1945 at Petit-Lang
lier, Belgium while serving as
a corporal in the Third Armored
Division of the First Army in
the Battle of the Bulge. 23 years
old at the time of his death,
Moody had been in the Army
since March 13, 1940.
He was the first European cas
ualty from Roanoke Rapids to
be buried in the Roanoke Rapids
Cemetary.
Sgt. John A. Flanagan, United
States Army, was detailed as
military escort from Philadel
phia to Roanoke Rapids.
Survivors include the parents,
one brother, James A. Moody,
of Roanoke Rapids, and one sis
ter, Mrs. W. W. Crew of Ft.
Knox, Kentucky.
| The Local Week...
C 1 ac DAT C*C I 'T’K^.r ni<a- Dir* Williairl TT
The Department of Comm
erce. Bureau of the Census, ir
Washington, D. C. reported to
day that 6,186 bales of cottor
had been ginned in Halifa>
County up to and including Nov
ember first, as -compared wit!
6.412 bales for the crop of 1946
AUTO RECOVERED
An automobile belonging tc
Johnnie Ethric’ge of Weldon was
taken away from its parking
place near the Rosemary Manu
facturing Company mill Mon
day night. It was recovered la
ter in the evening on 10th Street
STARTS OUT RIGHT
Holding his first court since
assuming office, Mayor W. B
Allsbrook told offenders anc
courtroom spectators Monday
afternoon that first offenders or
public drunkenness charge:
would be fined five dol
lars and the costs. Foi
a second offense, said the
mayor, the offender woulc
get a 30-day suspended sentence
and a three-time breakr of the
ordinance, Allsbrook concluded
could expect 60 days.
Throughout the afternoon, al
persons charged with publie
drunkenness were fined five do!
lars and the costs.
COMPLETE BASIC
Three Roanoke Rapids youth:
have completed eight weeks ba
sic training at Fort Jackson
South Carolina and have beei
assigned to the same compan;
C Company of the 2nd Infantr;
the Army reported this week
Parham, whose mother, Mrs.F.
S. Parham, resides at 1931 Roan
oke Avenue; Pvt. William L.
Reid, son of Mrs. J. W. Reid,
1514 B. Street; and Pvt. Charles
C. Etheridge, son of Mrs. C. V.
Etheridge, 758 Jefferson Street.
SWEET SALE
Ladies of the First Methodist
Church will sponsor a “sweet
sale” in the annex of the church
on Friday, November 21st, at
7:00 p. m. Pies, cakes, candy
and cookies will be sold during
the evening.
ANNUAL TURKEY DINNER
The Woman's Society of Chris
tian Service' of the Oak Grove
Methodist Church will have its
annual Turkey- dinner at the
Gaston School Cafeteria Tues
day evening, November 25th, be
ginning at 6:30. Farm products
and handicraft will also be on
sale by the ladies at this event
UNION SERVICE
A joint Thanksgiving service
will be held in the First Pres
t byterian Church in Roanoke Ra
pids at 10:00 A. M., Thursday
• November 27th, it was announ
ced today by the Rev. John M
Walker, Jr., pastor, and th<
Rev. Edmund Berkley, rector o:
i All Saints Episcopal Church. Of
■ ering at the service, to be at
, tended by both congregations
i will be for the orphanages o
- both churches, the ministers an
’ nounced. Mr. Berkley wil
. preach the ser/non.
Bernard Allsbrook Named
Mayor At Special Meeting
1947 Christmas Seal Sale
Begins in County Monday
The annual Christmas Seal
Bale for Halifax county will get
underway at 8:30 p. m. Monday,
November 24, with a Christmas
Seal Party over local radio sta
tion WCBT, it was announced to
day by W. H. Pruden, of Roa
noke Rapids, President of the
Halifax County Tubercolosis As
sociation, and Mrs. L. C. Mar
shall of Enfield, Seal Sale Chair
man for the county.
“We sincerely hope," Pruden
said, “that the people of this
county will contribute liberally
by buying the Christmas Seals
so that the Tubercolosis Control
Program in Halifax County can
be made second to none. We
hope there will be a large lis
tening audience for this half-hour
show in which the services of
top flight radio, screen and re
cording artists have been enlis
ted by the Los Angeles County
Tubercolosis and Health Associ
ation.”
Dr. Robert F. Young, County
Health Officer, said today “the
team of oxen pulling the sleigh
loaded with Christmas trees pic
tured on the Christmas seals this
W. H. PRUDEN
year is symbolic of the team
work which is absolutely neces
sary if the dreaded disease, tu
bercolosis, is ever to be eradi
cated.*
Britton Succeeds Hux
As President Roanoke
Firemen's Association
Rufus Britton, of Roanoke
Rapids, was elected to head the
Roanoke Fireman’s Association
succeeding George Hux of Hali
fax at the organization dinner
meeting Tuesday night in the
basement of the First Baptist
Church.
Other oficers chosen by the
association were: Joe Price, of
Whitakers, first vice-president:
A. B. Brown of Rich Square,
sceond vice-president; Jim Bel
lamy of Enfield, secretary-treas
urer; C. E. Shaw of Halifax,
assistant secretary-treasurer and
Hux, critic.
Hux explained in opening the
meeting that rules of the as
sociation prohibited reelection of
the president and sent a com
mittee, composed of representa
tives from Rich Square, En
field, Weldon, Roanoke Rapids.
Whitakers and Halifax, out to
nominate a slate of candidates
W. C. King, local fire chief,
acted as master of ceremonies
and introduced representives of
the various departments and the
guests. Billy Norwood, of Rose
mary Manufacturing Company,
was the guest speaker for the
occasion and he endorsed re
(Continued on page 6—Sect. A;
Wins $1000 Prize
"I haven't decided what
:o do with it all," said Mrs.
/✓. Kell Gay of Seaboard who
lad just been handed a check
:or SI.000 by a represeniive
>f Proctor and Gamble, soap
manufacturing concern, Mon
day morning. "But I'm going
tc put part of it away for my
ittle boy's schooling."
Mrs. Gay. winner of the
thousand dollar prize in the
recent Giant Dreft Carnival
Contest, referred to her 19
month old son, W. K.. Jr.
She said she was "going to
play Santa Claus to myself
with part of it."
Her husband is in partner
ship with his brother in the
Gay Brithers Hardware Com
pany in Seaboard and the
family formerly resided in
Greensboro.
She submitted her entry in
September, only a few days
before the contest deadline
dale for entry.
Halifax District Scout
Group Installs Officers
At the annual meeting of the
Halifax District Committee Boy
Scouts of America John H.
Hines was elected District Chair
man succeeding W. H. Pruden
who has served as District
chairman for the past year.
Rev. Edmund Berkley was re
elected vice chairman and D. E
Bennett was elected District
Commissioner replacing McRae
Faison.
Hines announced appointment
of the following men as Operat
ing Committee Chairmen for
1948: C. L. Elting finance; Ed
win Akers training; George Ne
thercutt advancement; Emery
Vaughan health and safety; Dr
D. A. Green organization and
extension and Houston E. Fuller
camping and activities.
The following men were ap
pointed members at large and
they will be chosen to serve on
the various operating commit
tees: A. E. Akers S. H. Crump
ler Clyde Liske Howard Pru
den J. W. Sears A. O. Pendle
ton W. C. Jones Jesse D. Lee
Virgil E. McDowell John W. Me
Gwigan J. R. Meikle W. A.
Pierce I. E. Ready and Willie
Mincher.
Activities Reports
Reports on Scouting activitiei
for the past year were made
by Clyde Liske finance chair
man Jack Vincent organizatior
and activities George Nether
cutt advancement John Hines
interracial chairman and Rev
Edmund Berkley Cubbing
chairman. These men reportet
that Scouting was not as activt
as it should be due to the lacl
of Scoutmasters.
Scout Executive John B
Hackney made a very inspirin,
address stating that there wer
several reasons for Scouting be
ing retarded throughout the en
tire council one of which wa
the fact that new field exect
tives are taking over most c
the service areas.
Dwight Dobbins Eagle Scou
of Troop 142 conducted the ir
stallation ceremony and he wa
assisted by Scout Roger Buxto
and Cub Scout Steve Atwill.
The* meeting was conclude<
by all members joining in th
Scout masters Benediction.
Board's Vote
On Selection
Is Unanimous
W. Bernard Allsbrook,
former mayor and for the
past five months city attor
ney, was appointed by unani
mous vote of the board of
city commissioners, meeting
in special session last Thurs
day night, to succeed the late
J. T. Chase as mayor of Roa
noke Rapids.
Allsbrook, who served as may
or from May 2, 1939 until May (i,
1941 after a two year term (from
May 4, 1937 until elected mayor
in 1939) on the board of com
missioners, told the Herald he
planned to carry out the pro
gram already initiated by the
present board and his predeces
sor.
“The street paving project .s
well under way and paving
should start in the early spring.
Other major projects already be
gun are the completion of the
cemetary and an addition to the
present fire department build
ing,” Allsbrook said.
Halifax County Native
The new mavor was born in
Scotland Neck July G, 1908 ai d
received his elementary and sec
ondary education in the city's
schools and at Oak Ridge Mili
tary Institute. He was graduated
from Wake Forest College in
1929 with the degree of Bachelor
of Science and after three years
of reading law at home, return
ed to that school in 1932 for a
post-graduate law course. He get
his license to practice Jaw from
that school in August, 1932 and
came to Roanoke Rapids on Oct
ober 15th of the same year.
Civic Activities.
| A charter member of the
I Roanoke Rapids Lions Club, Al
lsbrook is still an active member
I and served one term as club
' president. He also served one
year as Deputy District Gover
nor of District 31-C, Lions In
ternational, and for one term
was a director of the North Car
olina State Association for the
Blind.
At present, Allsbrook is chain
man of the Board of Deacons ol
tlie Rosemary Baptist Church
and teaches the Mens Bible
Class of the church.
Don’t Shoot Please
With the holiday season draw
ing nigh local citizens of long
residence and newcomers to the
city were reminded that it is
against tJie law to shoot fire
crackers or even to have them
in their possession
Due to an act passed by the
North Carolina General Assem
bly at its last session North Car
olina is protected by law from
sounding like a shooting gallery
and. agree or disagree, it’s the
law. The reminder came from
the Roanoke Rapids police d<
partment which likes to keep its
business to an absolute minimum.
Plans ECTC Drive
Greenville, Nov. 19—The World
Student Service Fund drive con
ducted anually on the campus
of East Carolina Teachers Col
lege by the YWCA and the YMCA
is now being planned by the tv. o
j organizations and will be con
lj ducted January 13-16, under di
1 rection of the presidents of the
: two groups, Alma Arrington o:
Hollister and Paul Craver o.
Lexington. Funds collected will
l be used to help needy students
and teachers in countries deva
stated by the war by providing
school supplies, clothing and
food for them.
f COMMISSIONERS MEET
t The board of city commission
- ers of Roanoke Rapids will meet
5 tomorrow to discuss the opening
i up of the new addition to the
cemetary. It will be Mayor Ber
1 nard Allsbrook’s first board
? meeting since be assumed th •
office last week.
Christmas Program To Open Here Friday, November 28
Roanoke Rapids’ first gala
Christmas opening will- be
launched on Friday night, Nov
ember 28, with the arrival of
Santa Claus.
The jolly patron of the Yule
tide season will enter the shop
ping district on the fire true
and will be preceded by tl
Roanoke Rapids High Schc
Band.
Santa and the Band will pa
ade from the comer of Fix
Street and Roanoke Avenue
i, Third Street and Roanoke Ave
ie nue in the South Ward and from
the corner of Ninth and the Ave
nue to 11th and the Avenue, after
r- which the band will proceed to
at Simmons Park where Roanoke
to Rapids and Weldon High Schools
will clash on the gridiron in a
special game, renewing a grid
iron rivalry that stopped in 1940.
All Christmas street decora
tions for the business district
will be up by this time. Also
local merchants will have their
• « ■» m
special Christmas window dis- !
plays and store decorations com
pletely erected. The Christmas
lights will be turned on for the
first time on this occasinon and
the stores will he open for the
convenience of shoppers from
« j •
even until nine p. m.
Mr. Carroll Carpenter and hi
:rew, the Carroll Decoratin
Company of Hickory, N. C. wi
irrive in the city this week-en
;o decorate the streets.
Throughout the Christmas set
*_- • .
son, loudspeakers in both tl
5 north and south wards will reli
l Christmas carols, origination
1 the studios of radio statii
\ WCBT, to the citizens.
The Merchants Associati
• hai gone to considerable t
le pense to decorate the streets for
ly Christmas and bring this gala
in opening to citizens of Roanoke
»n Rapids and surrounding terri
tory.
The Association invites ever/
>n one to attend the opening and
visit member stores.
KoanoKe capias mercnanis nssuwauuu